Students attain the knowledge and experiences necessary to complete prescriptions and offer advice on medicinal intake.

Degree Benefits:

  • Average annual salary of $128,710* for Pharmacists
  • Multiple job opportunities

Career Options Include:

  • Analytical Chemist
  • Clinical Research Associate
  • Pharmacologist
  • Research Scientist

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Pharmacists, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/pharmacists.htm (visited March 24, 2022).

Find an online bachelor's or master's degree:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

It is possible to earn a Pharmacology bachelor's degree online in less than the four years traditionally required in a brick and mortar school, as the student may take classes year-round. For the student balancing work and/or family obligations, it may take longer. One of the advantages of earning an online degree is that the student may work at his or her own pace. However, you should be aware that some rigorous programs or majors may require you to complete your degree within a certain time frame from the start of your courses. You should check with the department your major falls under and ask if they have any such requirement.

Before choosing a major there are some important facts you should know about.


It is important to align your career goals with the school and program that you select. If you wish to enter a field like Pharmacology, then you should select a school that offers coursework in Pharmacology. Further, you can look for schools that provide hands-on experiences like internships and projects with real-world companies.

The two most prominent types of bachelor levels in Pharmacology are: Bachelor of Arts degree (BA degree) and a Bachelor of Science degree (BS degree). A BA degree normally requires pupils to take fewer concentration courses as well as to focus more on discovering about Pharmacology. These students have a little bit more flexibility when it pertains to customizing their education to meet their occupation objectives as well as goals.


The Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacology, on the other hand, is much less concentrated on exploration and even more targeted to a specific focus. Bachelor of Science students, usually, focus specifically on the area of their major and have a tendency to be more career focused. Bachelor's degrees in the clinical field, for example, are most likely to be a Bachelor of Science degree. You can find some sample classes for a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology below:

  • Drug Discovery
  • Drug Commercialization
  • The Addicted Brain
  • Introduction to Forensic Science
  • Case Studies in Personalized Medicine
  • Pain Management: Easing Pain in Palliative Care
  • Physician/Student Opioid Use Disorder Medication Assisted Treatment Waiver Training
  • Sleep: Neurobiology, Medicine, and Society
  • Antibiotic Stewardship

The graduation rate is an important piece of information. It measures the performance of the entire student body, and it is a good predictor of the experience each applicant can expect. Time is money when it comes to an education in Pharmacology. The longer time for completion means more tuition and fee payments. Each year in addition to the expected four years, adds about 25% to the total costs of a Pharmacology degree. The longer it takes to graduate also means the less time a student is in the workforce earning an income from their Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology investment.


National statistics measure on-time degree completion using four-year and six-year marks. Private schools across the US and for all majors have a range of 53% on-time graduation and 65.6% within six years. In these schools, students can expect to finish on time if they attend full time and within six years with some part-time attendance. Public schools show a 35% on-time rate at four years and 59% at the six-year mark. Students at these schools must plan carefully to ensure that they can complete the requirements for on-time graduation.

Accreditation is an important part of selecting a school for Pharmacology education. Much depends on accreditation and the type of accreditation. There are two main types of accreditation; regional and national. Regional accreditation agencies work with research-based schools, private schools, public schools, and some for-profit schools. National accreditation works primarily with for-profit and career-related education.


Regional Accreditation


There are two types of regional accreditation; they are Pharmacology program accreditation and institutional accreditation. Institutional accreditation uses a group of states as the base to compare the school with other colleges and universities; the group of states comprises the region assigned by the Department of Education.


Programmatic Accreditation looks at specific programs or parts of a college or university. This type of accreditation has the same type of respect and acceptance as regional accreditation for institutions. Regional employers and other educational institutions regard regional accreditation as proof of high-quality education.


National Accreditation


National accreditation has a Faith-based branch and a career- related education branch. Faith-based institutions have a different set of standards that recognize the role of faith in instruction. The for-profit branch of national accreditation covers the special purpose and non-traditional schools such as vocational schools. The career-related education requires standards that place appropriate weight on general knowledge and education. Some regionally accredited schools do not accept credits from career-related schools.


Did you know that your salary is not always just based on what level of degree you received, but it also could be based on what school you attended? Many employers actually have their own rankings and rating systems of schools. That is to say, if you received your degree from a college that was accredited by a low rated agency, your salary may actually be decreased by a certain percentage where a high-ranked, well-known, accredited school, can raise that mark significantly.

If you are going to spend a lot of time and energy to attain an Pharmacology degree, you will certainly want some job placement assistance as you near graduation. Discuss this with your admissions counselor when you are considering the right program. In fact, you might want to broaden that discussion by asking about how your school handles internships and if co-op programs are available. Experiential learning can help you not only gain the skills needed to land a job, but you can also cultivate a professional network that will help you build the career you deserve.